Sissy gets in touch with her inner geak with comicologist Mike Carbonaro LIVE Friday night!

April 27, 2012 - PRLog -- For many, reading comic books is simply a hobby. But self-title comicologist Mike Carbonaro he has created an entire career and paid his NYU tuition with comic books.

Carbonaro, founder of the New York Comic Book Marketplace, held a convention with some of his work at The Hotel Pennsylvania. He even flew comic book legend Stan Lee in for the event, delighting Marvel fans.

NYCBM, however, is not Carbonaro's first foray into comic book conventions. In 1996, Carbonaro heard a comic promoter had been forced to cancel his convention at the last minute. Industry insiders were abuzz over what would happen and dealers were uncertain. Inspired, Carbonaro and his friends decided to find a new location and hold the event themselves.

The group of young men found a venue in the basement of a church in Manhattan. They handed out flyers in the snow and rain. And yet, they had no idea what would become of their venture. When the day of the convention came they opened the doors and it was instantly filled with dealers and buyers.

In 2009, Carbonaro and his friends sold the business to Wizard World, a comic book convention company. But Carbonaro couldn't stay away for long, and NYCBM became his next major venture.

Carbonaro, a New York native, started collecting comic books when he was four-years-old and then began trading them. He paid for his private school education starting in the seventh grade. When he decided to attend NYU, his entrepreneurship paid off again, as he was able to pay his fees entirely out of his comic book earnings.

From 1981 to 1992, Carbonaro owned and ran Continental Comics in Forest Hills, Queens, where he took advantage of the comic book popularity boom. He fondly recalled seeing the line of schoolboys outside his store every Wednesday, anticipating the week's fresh haul of comic books.

After selling his store, and now his first convention company, Carbonaro has embarked on the path he loves the most....being on the road.

Carbonaro likes nothing better than loading up his car with goods each morning and trading them for a trunk full of freshly bought items. Ideally, he would be traveling nine months out of the year, roaming the country looking for that next great treasure trove.

Carbonaro believes those troves still exist, tucked away in attics and garages all over America — not just comic book collections, but also toys and trinkets that were preserved by some hopeful individual.

And now Mike Carbonaro will share his passion for comic books LIVE 7:30pm EST on MNN Channel 56 TWC Manhattan and on our website www.thesissygamacheshow.com


Musical guest, Asphalt Green were formed in 2009, four individuals from 4 different musical backgrounds and 4 different lifestyles were brought together in what many people saw as a pathetic attempt at a creative endeavor. After just one song, those naysayers were silenced by a sound that has been described as "frightening"...

Comprised of a mix of seasoned veterans of the NYC/NJ rock scene, Asphalt Green fuses the styles of blues, rock, jazz, and alternative into a concoction of pure ecstasy.